


It Was Only A Matter Of Time

by OwlsForFriends



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-11 21:19:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlsForFriends/pseuds/OwlsForFriends
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riku thought the brown haired kid behind the bowling alley snack bar was cute. Cute enough to join the bowling team. The rest just took time. Updates in short chapters once or twice a week. rated M for later chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Time

  
77 days 12 hours and….16 or 17 minutes.

That’s how long it had been since Riku’s parents had dragged him to the bowling alley and made him order pizza in the name of “family bonding.”  And yet 77 days later here he was again, like he always was on Fridays, surrounded by a team of bowlers and staring discretely back at the spiky haired teen behind the snack counter.

“It’s all you, Riku.”  Wakka pulled  out the “you” and “Riku” emphasizing the rhyme and making Riku roll his eyes.

Wakka  was tugging on the starchy pinstriped periwinkle  bowling shirt  Riku had to wear as part of the “bowling team.” He joined because he was bored, he had informed his parents, and he didn’t hate bowling with them when they went together (he had though, nothing was worse than being a 17 year old trapped between two midlife crisis having parents at a bowling alley). Of course,  he told the team he joined because he wanted to get better at bowling.  After they saw him bowl a 42 to decided, yes, he needed their help. _Desperately._

“Alright _Alright_ I’m going.” He said, waving off the other teen and shuffling up to get his ball.  He wiped his hands on his pants discretely, wondering if the brown haired kid was watching him.  He would sometime,  Riku had seen him leaning up against the snack bar resting his hands in his chin and grinning over at their team. He even waved at Riku when they made eye contact, once. Riku turned around and started coughing so badly he threw the ball out of his lane into the next one over. It would have been more impressive if he had managed to hit any pins anyway but instead he got to hear the snack bar boy’s laughter over his teammates and that was almost as good.  Since it was usually just the bowling team in the bowling alley…Riku supposed the brown haired kid didn’t really have anything better than to watch them and microwave pretzels. 

He threw the ball at the pins three times, managing to knock down more than half of them and only throwing a gutter ball once. Well. Bowl every Friday for eleven weeks and you might get better at it.

“Way to go!” Pence cheered over his French fries, accidently knocking over Olette’s soda.  And the girls outraged cry Riku rolled his eyes again.

“I’ll grab you another one.” He mumbled,  before Pence could offer, “Since it’s Pence’s turn next, and everything.” He shrugged nonchalantly and  put his hands in his pockets, squeezing the liner on the inside to try and wipe the sweat of his hands, and stop them from shaking slightly.  He’s just another brown haired kid working to make some money for the summer, Riku told himself furiously, staring and the stupid stripped bowling shoes his parents had bought him to match his “adorable uniform.” Riku grimaced to himself, unsure of why he was even doing this.

Unsure until he looked up and saw that _smile_. Right. That right there was why he kept bowling. This kids grin was…amazing. It was like being hit with a beam of fucking light right in the face. You almost _had_ to smile back. Riku blinked and looked away, fumbling with his wallet in his pocket.  

“Can I uh…grab a soda. Pepsi.” He stole a look at Olette, “I don’t remember…diet or not. I guess just pick whatever.”

The brown hair kids grin was so bright Riku could see it reflecting in his peripheral vision . He swallowed quickly.

“If its for her” The kid pointed. “It’s a diet!” 

Riku just nodded, opening his mouth but the kid wasn’t finished.

“So I saw you bowling! You’ve gotten so much better, hah! Remember that one time you threw the ball into the other lane and didn’t knock down a single pin?”

Riku resolved to bowl a perfect game right were this kid could see.

“Right here you go.” The brunette smiled, sliding the now full cup towards Riku and waving away his wallet. “Don’t worry about it, it was an accident and its all free refills anyway” The kid scoffed, before  pointing towards himself and leaning forward, grinning. “I’m Sora by the way.”

“Riku. I’m Riku.” He said, fumbling with the soda.

“Riku…” The kid…Sora, muttered before throwing that grin at Riku again. “It’s good to put a name to the face!” He practically chirped.

Riku swallowed  flustered. Sora's grin made Riku think about how his lips would feel and where Riku's hands would go in that spiky tangled mess if he tried to cup the others head.  The silver haired teens hands slipped on the soda, he grabbed for it, trying to stop it but it was already  on the way to the floor. With a splash the new soda was covering the already sticky bowling alley tiles.

 

“Oh…” Sora gasped, leaning over the snack bar counter to look down at the mess on the floor. “….That one you’re gonna have to pay for.”

 

And that’s How Riku learned Soras name.


	2. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku takes a break from learning how to bowl to learning about a brunette

“….You’re an idiot.”   
  
Sora pouted at that and reached out to punch Riku in the shoulder, making the other laugh. “An idiot _and_ a soft puncher.”   
  
“ _Riku”_ Sora sighed trying to convince the other. “How was I supposed to know putting an icecube in the fryer would make it pop like that? It was for _science._ ”   
  
"Oil and water do _not_ mix" Riku laughed again shaking his head. “ Well. Microwave a pretzel for me then, since it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting those fries now. ”    
  
It was another Friday. They were up to 15 now, 15 Fridays of Riku slowly learning more about Sora, like his soft spot for acoustic music, his passion  for anything strawberry, and his obsession with old toys from their childhoods. Riku had never met someone who _actually_ replaced the batteries in their tomagotchi, much less for seven or so years.   
  
“His name is Highwind and he’s _special!_ ” Sora had pointed out, clutching the small electronic to his heart, when Riku had raised his eyebrow at the pink and blue egg hanging off sora’s keychain.    
  
They were friends now, Riku would say.  
  
It had started with the silver haired man volunteering to get everyone’s snacks, whenever they wanted them, and then blossomed. Sora was an easy kid to like, and to talk to. It was as if his whole personality was like the smile that drew Riku in, open, sweet and light. Sora was one of the few people Riku found it fun and simple to interact with.   
  
“Your button is falling off.” Riku pointed out, looking at the worn uniform shirt Sora was wearing and the loose top button. The brunette shrugged.   
  
“It s’okay. Its not like I ever button the top one anyway. Im sure it’s on there better than you think!” To prove it Sora reached up and tugged on the button lightly, eyes widening dramatically as it popped off into his hand.  “….Whoops.”  
  
Riku burst out laughing, making Hayner jump and throw a gutter ball. He whirled around yelling at Riku across the bowling alley and making Pence and Olette dissolve into laughter themselves.    
  
“Sorry _Sorry!!”_ Riku said, waving a hand at Hayner. “I know! I said sorry!!” He tossed Sora a sheepish grin, turning back to him. “Hey. Can I have that button? My mom collects them.”  
  
Sora ran a hand through his hair grinning, handing the worn button to Riku. “Sure. I could get Kairi to sew it back on but, like I said I don’t button the top one anyway!” He paused and cocked his head. “Ya know. I don’t think I’ve heard you laugh like that before.”      
  
Riku snorted sliding the button into his wallet. “Yeah well, I’ve never seen you make that face before.” He muttered before the corner of his mouth tugged up and he starting to laugh again. “Oh _God_ you just…were so surprised it came off!” He gasped, his laughter was getting loud again.   
  
 Sora rolled his eyes. “Fine. See if I make you a pretzel now.” He said, pretending to be upset and sticking his nose in the air.   
  
Riku just laughed. 

  
  
And that’s how Riku’s shelf got the permanent addition of a small green button.  



	3. Absence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seems like Sora's not working today...

Friday came again and Riku hiked up his bowling bag over his shoulder, strolling into the alley. He frowned and glanced up when the awaited “Riku!” Sora would cry every time he walked in wasn’t uttered.   
  
In fact Riku didn’t see Sora anywhere.  
  
Four hours later still no sora.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
That’s how Riku found out he didn’t like bowling.


	4. Back To Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora's back and has an interesting proposition.

Chapter 4-  Back to normal.  
  
 The week dragged for Riku with one question pounding through his brain. Would Sora be there?  He needed to make sure he got the others cell phone number or add him on facebook or….something.   Sora not being at the bowling alley last Friday had thrown him. He hadn’t thought about how easily the brunette could slip through his fingers, if he stopped working at the bowling alley would Riku ever even see him again?  
  
Finally Friday came again, and Riku pushed through the doors into the familiar alley, his stomach squirming. If Sora wasn’t there he had resolved to talk to the manager and see if he could figure out when Sora would be there again. It wasn’t because of his….crush or sora’s smile or the butterflies in his stomach when he thought about that kid or anything, Riku told himself sternly. It was because Sora was quickly becoming his friend, and that was a lot more important.  
  
His heart sped up when he didn’t hear the cheerful “Riku!” that Sora would greet him with every Friday. He dragged his eyes up dreading the moment when he would look at the empty snack bar.  But Sora was there, tapping his fingers on the counter and staring at the large digital clock hanging on the wall about the bowling lanes.  
  
  
  
Riku frowned and slid into the stool set up against the snack bar counter. Sora’s finger didn’t stop tapping as he kept his gaze on the clock.  
  
  
“Hey.” Riku said softly, blinking as Sora jumped violently whirling towards him with a gasp.  
  
  
“ _Fuck_ ” He hissed, holding a hand to his heart. “You scared me!”   
  
  
Riku had never heard Sora curse before. It made him grin. Now that he looked closer he could see the bags under Sora’s eyes and the small frown playing around his mouth. Even his hair seemed to be drooping as he let out a long yawn.   
  
  
“Sorry” Riku threw Sora a small grin, trying to coax one back. “Didn’t mean to. Everything okay though? You weren’t here last week.”  
    
  
“Sooo ya noticed?” Sora grinned putting his elbows on the table and leaning towards Riku. “Yeah…Kairi had an accident last Friday. I’ve been worried and hanging out with her. Have noooot been sleeping” He muttered, rubbing at his eye.  
  
  
  
“Kairi…..thats your red haired best friend?” Riku asked, considering Sora’s  explination. “Is she going to be okay?”  
  
  
Sora snorted, “She’ll be _fine_ as long as she remembers standing on chairs with wheels isn’t a good idea. She fractured her ankle so we were in the hospital last weekend.”  
  
  
“YOOOO RIKU” The loud shout across the bowling alley made the silver haired man flinch and he turned  seeing Hayner frowning at him.  “Lets _go_! Times a ticking!!”  
  
  
  
“Go ahead and start this round without me!” He shouted back waving a hand dismissively at the irritated blond.  
  
  
  
Sora grinned and quirked and eyebrow at Riku. “Aren’t you gonna practice?”  
  
  
  
“In a minute. Tell me more about your weekend.”  
  
  
  
  A slow different kind of smile spread over Sora’s face and it made Riku’s stomach do something interesting. He shifted slightly on his chair.  
  
  
  
“Okay.” Sora said, “But how about instead of right this second….you go practice and then we can go get coffee after and talk about the weekend. Kairi will be okay without me for a few hours.”  
  
  
Riku was glad he was sitting down with a bar hiding most of his body as he quickly wiped his almost instantly sweaty hands on his pants and blinked once _hard_ trying to wrap his mind around what Sora was saying.  
  
  
“Sure. But let’s get smoothies instead.” Riku knew the brunette preferred sweet things anyway. He stood up on surprisingly strong legs and grinned over at Sora, waving a hand. “Catch you after practice.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
And that’s how they went on their first date.  
 


End file.
